Decorative stitchers



Oct. 6, 1959 R. W. BURGESS ETAL DECORATIVE STITCHERS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 27. 1955 1 'Il 5o INVENTORS @Mmi Oct. 6, 1959 R. w. BuRGEss ET AL 2,907,290

DECORATIVE sTlTcHERs Filed oct. 27, 1955 s, sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS @32% la 70W DECORATIVE STITCHERS :s sheets-sheet s Filed Oct. 27. 19.55

INVENTORS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,901,290 DECORATIVE srrrCHERs Application October 27, 1955, Serial No. 543,052

s claims. (cl. i12-.160)

Y Robert IW. Burgess, Orange,

This invention relates to sewing machine attachments, 'and more particularly to an attachment adapted to be applied to the ordinary household sewing machine and ar- ,ranged to effect decorative stitching in any one of a number of patterns. f

Devices of this character have usually comprised a frame portion which .may be secured to the presser bar fra sewing machine, the frame having pivoted thereto a lever for zigzag or pivotal movements in a direction transverse to the line of stitching, and a cam member usually rotatably mounted on the frame which is actuated in a step-by-step manner from a fork arm which is in turn actuated by the reciprocation of the needle bar. `ljrovision has sometimes been made for varying the pattern of stitches effected by the device by controlling the actuation of the cam which Vserves to effect pivotal movements of the presser foot or the pivoted lever which car- -ries the presser foot itself.

However, in order to effect a change in the pattern of stitches, it is usually necessary to disassemble at least a part of the device and substitute a different cam or masking 'wheel for the one which has ben previously employed upon the attachment. While these operations are relatively simple, nevertheless there is always a reluctance on the part of the user to disassemble or remove some of the parts and apply other parts thereto.

Therefore, it is contemplated by the present invention to .provide an attachment for sewing machines wherein the stitch pattern may be varied merely by an adjustment of `the mechanism built into the attachment s'o that it is not necessary to remove and replace any of the parts. Inv this mannerv a simple movement or change in the position Vof an adjusting member or control member will vary e pattern of the stitching effected by the device and will thus render the attachment more easily manipulated than Yare those in use at the present time.

Usually the pattern of stitching is changed by varying the number of zigzag or transverse movements of the presser foot with respect to the stitches sewi-ng machine which is determined by the reciprocations of the needle bar. In other words the plain zigzag decorative stitcher will effect a transverse movement of the presser foot upo'n each reciprocation of the needle bar. This, however, can be varied so that the zigzag movements may ybe effected every other stitch of the Vneedle bar or everythird stitch, or in any desired sequence. Also it is sometimes desirable to provide the mechanism `such that the number of stitches between each transverse movement is not uniform. For instance, there may be initially two reciprocations of the needle bar between the first two transverse movements and a different numfber say three or four, reciprocations of the needle bar between the next transverse movements and so forth, and -it is contemplated that any such stitch patterns may be Veffected by the present mechanism.

Itis lalso desirable in some instances to vary the throw of the lever upon which the presser foot is mountedA so as to vary the length of the transverse stitch, and this may also be effected by the present mechanism in addition `to other desired patterns. j

One object of the present invention is to provide a new effected by the I Patented Oct. 6, 1959 2 and improved decorative stitch mechanism for sewing machines. d p

A further object of the invention is to provide a 4new and improved decorative ,stitch mechanism for sewing machines wherein the stitch pattern may be readily and easily varied by even and inexperienced operator.

Still 'another object of the invention is to provide a decorati-ve stitch attachment which comprises v a lever pivoted to the frame ofthe Iattachment upon which lever the presser foot yis carried, and controlling the oscillations of the lever by cam or like mechanism mounted upon the attachment, the arrangement beingsuch that anyone of ja desired number of cams may be broughtinto controlling relation with the presser foot lever. j

Still another object of the invention is to provide -a decorative stitch attachment for sewing machines wherein the controlling cams -are arranged in a bank, andfa fol- .loweris provided which is movable into engagement with any desired one of such cams, the movements of the follower in turn controlling the presser foot lever so as to control the particular stitch pattern effected by the attachment.' y

To these andother ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompany drawings: 1

Fig. l is'fa side elevational view of a sewing machine attachment embodying our invention with some parts being broken away for the sake of clearness;

Fig. -2 is a view from the other side thereof;

Fig.v 3 is a top plan view of the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a partialhorizontal sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 6 is a. vertical section on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

f Fig. 7 is a sectional view o'n line '-7--7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a view ofthe rear portion of the device similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view online 99 of Fig. l;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the'actuating pawl and slide upon which it is mounted;

Fig. l1 is a perspective view of the U-shaped frame d member which carries the follower;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of another portion of the frame;

Figs. 13 and 14 are cams; and

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. -10 with the pawl in an inoperative position.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention we have shown in the drawings an attachment comprising a frame member consisting generally lof a 'platelike base portion 10 having an arm 1|1 projecting forwardly therefrom upon which is mounted the adaptor 12 by which the attachment maybe secured tothe presser bar of the sewing machine.

At the sides 'of the arm 11 are upstanding flanges y13 and 14 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 15. To this shaft is secured the fork arm l16 adapted to be connected to the needle bar in the usual manner for reciprocaton thereby, and also secured to the shaft is a crank 17 lhaving' a-crank arm 18 to be referred to hereinafter. With this plan views of a pair of Vcooperating v arrangement it will be seen that reciprocation of the needle bar will effect oscillatory movement of the crank 17.

,The presser foot is indicated at 2.0, this foot being carried upon a lever 21 which, as shown more especially in Fig. 6, is provided with a slot 22 in which is slidably received a pivot pin 23, this pin being also slidable in a slot -24 in the forwardly extending arm 1.1 of the frame. The pin 23 :is carried by an adjusting plate 25 (Figs. l21 and 6), which plate is adjustably mounted at the lower side of the frame for which purpose the plate is provided with a slot 26 to slidably receive a pin 27 secured to the frame, and the plate `25 is adjusted from one position to another by the flange 2.8 provided thereon (Figs. 2 and 5).

As shown in Fig. 2, the ilange 28 is provided with a slot 29 to receive a fastening screw 30 threaded into a flange 31 of the frame member .10 so as to secure the plate 25 in adjusted position. From Figs. 4 and 6 it will be seen that adjustment of the plate 25, as permitted by the slot 26, will move the pivot pin 23 forwardly and rearwardly, and thus change the pivot point of the pivotal connection between the lever 21 and the frame so as to vary the throw of the presser foot 20 and thus vary the amount of lateral movement imparted yto the material upon which the stitching is being made.

Slidably mounted upon the upper surface of the frame member is an actuating slide 32 (Figs. 5 and 10). This slide is provided with an elongated opening 33 which receives a pin 34 secured to the plate 10 and is also provided with a pin 35 received in an elongated slot 36 in the plate. rIn this manner the slide is operatively connected to the plate for sliding movement thereon. Adjacent its forward end the slide 32 is provided with an upstandiug bifurcated flange 37 having an open-ended slot 38 between the forks thereof in which slot is received the crank member 18 of the crank 17 previously described so that reciprocation of the fork arm 16 effects reciprocation of the slide 32.

Upon this slide is pivotally mounted at 40 a pawl 41, the forward hooked end 42 of which is urged by a spring 43 into engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 44 rotatably mounted on the attachment as will be hereinafter explained.

This spring has a downwardly turned end 43a which normally bears against a boss 43b on the hooked end 4Z of the pawl. As shown in Fig. l5, the pawl may be swing about its pivot to an inoperative position where the end 43a of the spring engages the back of the boss 43b and releasably holds the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. In this position of the pawl straight sewing is effected by the attachment.

Mounted upon the plate 10 is a frame member 45 (Figs. 3 and 7) of substantially U-shaped form in cross section, and secured in this member are posts 46 and 47 upon each of which are rotatably mounted a plurality of spaced cams 48 and 49 (Fig. 6) held in spaced relation by spacing washers 50. The cams 48 of one bank are secured together by a pin 51 and the cams of the other bank are likewise secured together by a pin 52 so that the cams of each bank will rotate in unison.

Also rotatably mounted on the post 46 is the hub 53 of the ratchet wheel 44 previously referred to, and the pin 51 extends downwardly through this ratchet wheel and through a gear 54 mounted on the hub 53 above the ratchet wheel so that the cams 48, gear 54 and ratchet wheel 44 are locked together.

The pin 52 also extends downwardly through a gear 55 mounted upon a hub member 56 on the pin 47 so that this gear is locked to the cams 49 by the pin 52. A pinion 57 is rotatably mounted upon the lower portion of the frame member 45, and the teeth of Ithis pinion mesh with those of the gears 54 and 55, as shown in Fig. 5. With this construction it will be seen that as the slide 32 is reciprocated the pawl will rotate the ratchet wheel 44 in a step-by-step movement. Rotation of the ratchet wheel will in turn eifect rotation of the gear 54, pinion 57 and gear 55, which will resul-t in the rotation of both banks of cams 48 and 49.

A hub member 59 is secured to the upper side of .the pinion 57 (Fig, 7), and a shaft 60 is secured to this hub member and extends upwardly .through the frame 45 so that the pinion 57 may be rotated by hand if desired in order to rotate the cams 48 and 49. The frame member 45 is pivoted Ito plate 10 at 6()a and may be locked in place iby means of ythe bar 61 (Fig. 5) slidably connected to the upper surface of the bottom portion of this frame member by the pin and slot connections 62 and 63. This bar may be manipulated by the handle 64, and the other end 65 of the bar may enter below a stirrup 66 secured to the plate member 10. When the bar is withdrawn from the stirrup against the tension of the spring 67, the member 45 can be swung outwardly about its pivot 60a to move Ithe cams to an inoperatvie position.

The manner of rotating the cams from the reciprocation of the needle bar has been described above, and description will now be given of the manner of controlling the pivotal movements of the presser foot lever Z1 by the rotation of the pairs of cooperating cams. lt may here be noted that the cams 48 and 49 are arranged in horizontally aligned pairs and are complemental to each other so that a follower member to be later described will be held in engagement with one of the cams by the operation of the cooperating cam. This is shown, for example, in Figs. 13 and 14, which illustrate one of the cams 48 and a cooperating cam 49. It will be apparent that a protuberance upon the periphery of one cam lies opposite a depression or concavity upon the periphery of the other cam so that each end of a pivoted follower to be hereinafter described will always be held in engagement with its cooperating cams,

The presser foot lever 21 is upwardly odset, as shown at 70 (Fig. l) so that it extends upwardly through an opening 71 in the base member 10. To this end 70 of the presser foot lever is pivoted at 72 a link 73, the other end of which is pivoted to a vertically disposed rod 74, which rod'is secured in an opening 75 of a rocker member 76, shown in Fig. 11. This rocker member is of U-shaped form and is rockably mounted by openings 77 and 78 in the arms thereof upon a shaft 79 (Fig. 7), which shaft is secured in a frame member 80 (Fig. l2), this frame member being in turn secured to the frame plate 10.

This frame comprises an upper plate member 81 provided with an opening 82, and the shaft 79 is secured in this opening and lin an opening 83 in an inwardly projecting ear 84 of the frame member 80. The portion 81 of the frame is also provided with an arcuate opening 85 to receive a pin 86 upon `the rocker 76 so as to guide the latter `in its movement and limit the movement thereof. With this arrangement it will be seen that the rocker member 76 will rock upon the pin 79 and that through the rod 74 will move the link 73, the latter being pivoted to the rod 74 and thereby oscillate the rear end 70 of the presser foot lever 21.

Slidably and rockably mounted upon the pin 79 is a cam follower 87, the hub 88 of this member being shown more especially in Fig. 7. This member comprises, as shown more especially in Fig. 5, an elongated body portion having follower members 89 and 90 at its ends, the follower 89 being adapted to cooperate with a selected one of the cams 48 while the follower 90 is adapted to cooperate with a cooperating horizontally aligned one of the cams 49. The follower is also provided with an ear 91 adapted to embrace the rod 74 so that the rocking of this follower about the pin 79 will effect oscillation of the rocker 76 to which the rod 74 is secured. As the cooperating cam members of a pair have complemental peripheral cam edges, it will be seen that the followers 89 and 90 will be maintained in engagement with their respective cams so that a spring will not be required as might be the case if a single cam were employed instead of a pair.

It will, of course, be understod that in general each of the cams 48 will have a different peripheral configuration as will also each of the cams 49, and in order to change from one stitch pattern to another, it will be necessary to bring the follower member 87 into cooperative relation with lany one of the pairs of cams iu the two To this end a collar 92 (Fig. 7) rotatably embraces the hub 88 of the follower 87 but is engaged with the latter so that vertical movement of this collar effects vertical movement of the follower member although permitting rocking movement thereof in any position to which the follower member is moved. Secured to the collar 92 is a pin 98 received in a slot 94 of a shift lever 95 pivoted at 96 to ,the frame member 80.

The end of the shift lever 95 on the other side of the pivot is provided with a pin 9'7 (Figs. 8 and 9), which pin passes through an elongated slot 98 in a plate 99 and is received in a helical slot 100 of a shaft 1011 rotatably mounted at its lower end in the plate 10 and at its upper end in an opening 102 of an arm 108 of the frame member 80. Secured to the upper end of the shaft 101 is a turn button 104 provided with a spring and ball detent 105 adapted to cooperate with recesses 106 in a bushing 107 secured-to the arm member 103, the plate 99 being also secured to this member 107.

With this construction it will be seen that as the button 104 is turned, it wil be releasably retained in various adjusted positions by engagement of the spring-pressed ball 105 in recesses 106. Rotation of the shaft 101 will effect vertical movement of the pin 97 dueto the engagement of the pin in the helical slot 100 of the shaft. As the pin 97 is secured to the shift lever 95, the end of this lever (the right-hand end as shown in Fig. 8) will be moved in a vertical direction, and the other end of Ithis lever which is connected to the collar 92 on the follower 87 will be moved in the opposite direction.

Movement of the collar up and down the pin 79 will effect corresponding movement of the follower 87 so as to bring the follower into cooperative engagement with any one of a pair of horizontally aligned cams 48 and 49. It will be understood that the recesses 106 will be so arranged that the ball detent will enter one of the recesses when the follower is brought to a proper vertical position to register with one of the cams of each bank.

As the cams of each bank are differently formed on their peripheries, it will be seen that when the follower is moved from engagement with one cam into engagement with another, a different stitch pattern will be formed, and by properly shaping the edge of the various cams, any desired decorative stitch may be effected. It has been found expedient to provide two banks of cams and a member having followers in engagement with each thereof so that when the corresponding ones of a pair of cams are complementally formed, the engagement of Aa follower with one of them will maintain the other follower in engagement with the other, thus obviating the necessity for a spring to perform this function and also providing for positive movement of the presser foot in both directions in its zigzag or lateral movements.

As will be obvious, the fork arm 16 is adapted to be actuated by movement of the needle bar of the sewing machine, this fork arm in turn effecting reciprocation of the slide 32 which, through the pawl 41, actuates the cam members 48 and 49. These cam members act upon the rockably mounted cam follower 87 which rocks the rocker member 76 and, through the rod 74, effects movement of the link 73 which is secured to the presser foot lever 21, thus effecting lateral movements of the presser foot. By rotating the turn button 104 and through it the worm 100, the follower 87 may be raised and lowered so that its follower members 89 and 90 may be moved into engagement with any one of a pair of cams to effect the desired stitch pattern.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame, a lever pivotally attached to the frame, a presser foot carried by the forward end of the lever, means for oscillating said lever comprising two banks of axially aligned, complementally shaped, cams mounted on the frame to rotate about spaced parallel laxes, a rocker member rockably mounted on the frame to rock about a pivot intermediate said cam axes, means connecting said rocker member to said lever, a double-armed cam follower slidably mounted in said rocker member for adjustment to position to engage each arm with a selected one of the cams of one bank, said follower being also connected to said rocker member to move the latter as the follower is moved by the cam with which it is engaged, and means for effecting sliding movement of said follower relatively to the rocker member comprising a lever pivoted on the frame and engaged at one end with said follower.

2. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame, a lever pivotally attached to the frame, a presser foot carried by the forward end of the lever, means for oscillating said lever, said means comprising a cam follower pivotally mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the lever, two banks of axially aligned cams rotatably mounted on the frame, the axis of the cams of one bank being substantially parallel to that of the cams of the other bank, each of the cams of one bank having a shape complemental to that of a corresponding cam in the other bank, said cam follower having means to engage selected pairs of said cams, one on each bank, means for adjustably mounting said cam follower on the frame for movement axially of the pivot in a direction parallel to the axes of the cams to cooperate with a selected cam of each bank, and a forkarm pivotally mounted on the frame and operatively connected to both banks of said cams to rotate the latter when the forkarm is oscillated. Y

3. A sewing machine attachment as in claim 2 wherein means are provided for rockingly mounting said cam follower on the frame, the follower being rocked by engagement with a selected cam of each bank, and transmitting its rocking motion to said lever'.

4. A sewing machine attachment as in claim 2 wherein said banks of cams are pivotally mounted on the frame as a unit for swinging movement to a position in which they are out of engagement with the follower.

5. A sewing machine attachment comprising a frame, a lever pivotally attached to the frame, a presser foot carried by the forward end of the lever, means for oscillating said lever comprising a cam follower pivotally mounted on the frame and operatively connected to said lever, a bank of axially aligned cams rotatably mounted on the frame, means for adjustably mounting said cam follower onthe frame for adjustment along its pivotal axis to position to cooperate with a selected one of said cams, a fork arm pivotally mounted on the frame and operatively connected to said cams to rotate the same, a second bank of cams rotatably mounted on the frame on an axis parallel to and spaced from that of the first bank, said cam follower being provided with means to engage aselected cam of said second bank, and each cam of one bank being shaped to complement a corresponding cam of the other bank so as to maintain the follower in engagement with the cam of each bank at all times.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 666,876 Schneider Ian. 29, 1901 1,893,912 Spaulding Jan. 1o, 1933 1,996,675 Hagan Apr. 2, 1935 2,580,953 Pierce Jan. 1, 1952 2,669,202 Enos Feb. 16, 1954 2,788,757 Enos Apr. 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 519,864 Belgium May 30, 1953 1,095,914; france Dec. 29, 1954 

